1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to automobile accessories and more particularly to a storage apparatus for lifting a removable hardtop from an automobile, storing the hardtop in an elevated storage position, and replacing the hardtop on the automobile.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
There is commercially available a hardtop storage apparatus including a hoist for lifting a removable automobile hardtop from the automobile body to facilitate storage of the hardtop on a special wheeled cart when the top is not being used and for later replacing the hardtop on its automobile body. This commercially available hoist comprises a winch mechanism including an overhead winch having a cable attached to a cross bar which can be lowered to a position over the roof of the hardtop. Depending from the ends of this cross bar are two griping devices for attachment to opposite edges of the hardtop. This hoist is selectively operable to lift the hardtop from and lower the hardtop onto the automobile body. The cart attaches to the cross bar to support the hard top for movement to and from a storage area.
This commercially available hardtop storage apparatus has several disadvantages. Among the foremost of these disadvantages are the following. The hardtop is not covered when stored on the wheeled cart and is therefor subject to the accumulation of dust and other airborne particles, vapor, and the like. Accordingly, use of the storage apparatus necessitates the frequent use of cleaners to clean the hardtop which involves the risk of scratching or otherwise marring the top. The hardtop is stored at ground level. As a consequence, a special area must be set aside for storing not only the hardtop when the top is positioned on the storage cart but also the cart by itself when the hard top is mounted on the automobile. Also, storage of the hardtop at ground level creates the ever present risk of damage to hardtop by a person carrying an object and running into the top or dropping the object on the top. Finally, the available storage apparatus is relatively costly since it requires two separate components, namely, the hoist and the storage cart, and transferring the hardtop from the hoist to the storage cart and from the cart to the hoist requires substantial manual skill and physical strength.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,177, dated Jul. 15, 1986, to Fritz and my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,687, dated Nov. 23, 1993, disclose automobile hardtop storage apparatus which avoid at least some of these disadvantages of the commercially available hoist-cart storage system referred to above. These patented hardtop storage apparatus have the common features of a hardtop supporting harness and a hoist for lifting and lowering the harness. The harness includes straps joined to one another at a central support point of the harness and having free ends mounting clips in the form of hooks or plates for releasable attachment to opposite edges of a removable automobile hardtop. The hoist includes an overhead support to be mounted on the ceiling of a garage or the like and a flexible lifting member in the form of a cable or strap attached at one end to the support point of the harness and extending upwardly from the harness, over a roller on the overhead support, to a rotary drum which is rotatable in one direction to lift the harness to an elevated storage position and in the opposite direction to lower the harness to a lowered position. When the harness is in its elevated storage position, an automobile may be driven to and from a parked hardtop transfer position below the harness without contacting the harness or a hardtop supported by the harness. When in its lowered position, the harness is disposed for attachment to and detachment from the removable hardtop of an automobile in the parked hardtop transfer position.
These hardtop storage apparatus are used in the following way. An automobile mounting a removable hardtop is parked in the hardtop transfer position below the elevated harness, after which the hardtop is released for removal from the automobile, the harness is lowered, the harness clips are attached to opposite edges of the hardtop, and the harness is raised to lift the hardtop to an elevated storage position in which the automobile may be driven from and later return to the hardtop transfer position without contacting the elevated hardtop. The hardtop is replaced on the automobile by reversing this procedure.
In addition to the above features which are common to the hardtop storage apparatus of both patents mentioned above, the storage apparatus of my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,687 includes a zippered hardtop dust cover and a pair of pivoted storage supports. The dust cover is attached to the harness and encloses the hardtop when in its elevated storage position. The storage supports are pivotally mounted on the overhead hoist support for movement between retracted positions in which they permit a hardtop to be lifted to and lowered from its elevated storage position and extended positions in which the storage supports are disposed to support a hardtop in its elevated storage position.